Scenes From the Fairy Tail Guild
by Nightlingbolt
Summary: Join the members of Fairy Tail and their allies as they struggle to come to grips with relationships, ghosts of the past, and where they stand in the world. TEMPORARY HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, people. Nightlingbolt here. Welcome to what I hope will be a new project, which I've codenamed "Scenes from the Fairy Tail Guild." I really can't say too much about it except, if it turns out to be popular, I'll continue this to the best of my ability, even though I've got Lucky Star and ABCs to worry about.**

**The idea for this came when I decided Juvia and Totomaru worked well as a couple, which made me want to write a situation in which they meet again after the timeskip, and maybe fall for each other. But then I got four other ideas for storylines, so what originally was JuviaxTotomaru became... well... this.**

**I guess I can look at it as an experiment in ensemble casts, which if you remember from The Sandstorm Slasher, I didn't really highlight all the group's Pokemon as much as I wanted to. In fact, Roggenrola was going to say a line just before he used Sandstorm to assist in Excadrill's story, but I juat ran out of opportunities to sneak it in. This time, I'm doing a different kind of ensemble, focusing on two characters at a time.**

**Eh, I've said way too much crap already! On with the story!**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters. Anything not instantly recognizable (Thalia Town, for example) is my own creation.**

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><p>Juvia was bored, though she really had no right to be.<p>

Ever since Fairy Tail's appearance at the Grand Magic Games, there had been an influx of jobs pouring into the guild, so she really had no reason to not work. In fact, all the members of the B Team were eagerly anticipating a time when they would get to do a job together. Yes, even Jellal, when he took missions under the alias Mystogan.

The guild had largely come to regard Jellal as a sort of unofficial member, though there were quite a few new recruits that were in the dark about Mystogan's true identity, hence why everyone called him Mystogan around the guild. Every now and again, Mystogan came to the guild to take a mission in order to help support Crime Sorciere. When the job was done, he would stay just long enough to report to Makarov and be on his way again.

Juvia had been part of the effort to save Erza at the Tower of Heaven, and until the training camp, she largely knew Jellal as a villain. However, Erza and the others trusted him, so she took him with a grain of salt. She knew he and Erza had some sort of relationship, but it seemed like Jellal never bothered to make the effort.

She had asked Erza about it once, and the Titania said she was perfectly happy with the way things stood between them. It would be nice for the two of them to pursue a relationship, but she knew the Council could discover Mystogan's secret identity at any time, and she understood that if they became lovers, she would be targeted as well. Jellal wasn't about to force Erza to choose between two loves, so he stayed curt and professional in both his identities.

Juvia did, however, notice that she and Natsu had been going on missions without their teammates (not even Happy, and he was practically Natsu's shadow!), but fearing the knight's wrath, she wisely chose not to pursue the topic with her.

Still, she was smart enough to realize that they usually came back a couple days later than they should, which brought her back to the Tower of Heaven topic. She saw Natsu carrying Erza in his arms, gazing at Erza protectively, as the normally proud Titania stared at the usually ferocious Salamander in wonder. Maybe this was just Juvia being a hopeless romantic, but she thought she saw hints of love in those two sets of eyes.

But wait. If Natsu loved Erza, and Erza loved Natsu, then what? Juvia supposed Jellal had Ultear, but what about Lucy? Loke was out of the question, given their spirit-owner relationship.

She went over all the Fairy Tail couples, and arrived at one logical conclusion: Lucy was most compatible with Gray.

She could not let that happen. She _would not_ let that happen.

"Juvia won't lose to Lucy-san!" she declared, not even noticing Romeo's arrival.

The Fourth's son simply stared at the water woman. "Ummm... good for you?" he said nervously.

Juvia calmed down as she noticed the boy. "Oh, hello, Romeo-kun," she said brightly.

"Hi, Juvia-san," said Romeo. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course!" said Juvia. "Anything to help out a fellow guild member!"

"Well... in Totomaru-sensei's next lesson, we're supposed to go over methods for fighting Water mages," explained Romeo.

"Because Fire mages are naturally at a disadvantage against Water mages," supplied Juvia.

"Right!" said Romeo. "Anyway, I told Sensei I'd ask if you wanted to volunteer for a practical demonstration. I mean, I figured since you guys used to be in Phantom Lord together and all..."

Juvia smiled. She liked Totomaru. Along with Gajeel, he was one of her few friends in Phantom Lord. He'd often complain that her rain made it hard for him to use his fire, but he also went out of his way to reassure her that it was proof of her mastery over water, which served to make her the strong mage she was. Her relationship with the younger boy (now older man, she supposed) was not unlike Gray's relationship with Natsu: their opposite elements caused them to butt heads frequently, but at the end of the day, each acknowledged the other as a worthy rival, and ultimately, a friend.

"I'll do it!" she declared.

Romeo's smile instantly brightened. "Thanks, Juvia-san!" he said. "Tomorrow's lesson is gonna be awesome!"

"Tomorrow?" Juvia repeated. "Oh, no! Juvia was supposed to go on a mission with Gajeel-kun! Juvia's rent is due not long after that!"

"Oh," said Romeo, now sounding dejected. "I didn't know, or I wouldn't have asked. I mean, I guess I could ask Lucy to summon Aquarius or something."

She didn't know whether it was the thought of disappointing Romeo or the thought of Lucy one-upping her, but she decided that Gajeel could wait one more day for his mission, or even go without her. He was strong enough to do a solo job every once in a while. Heck, in Phantom, that's all he ever did!"

"Don't worry, Romeo-kun," said Juvia. "Juvia will be there. Count on it!"

"Aye!" said Romeo cheerfully.

"_Aye?"_ thought Juvia. _"Juvia thinks he spends a little too much time with Natsu-san."_

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><p>If you had asked Lucy Heartfilia on Monday what her plans for the weekend were, she definitely wouldn't have said she was going to a bed and breakfast with Gray Fullbuster. However, that's just how the weekend ended up.<p>

Apparently, he had been given a reservation for two to a bed and breakfast his most recent client owned in Thalia Town. According to the Ice mage, he had been taking jobs for at least a week to pay Lucy's rent, since by his own admission, he had caused her to fail her last job.

Lucy grimaced at the memory. She was working at a cafe three towns over, and her teammates paid her an unwelcome visit. Natsu and Gray were fighting, and it ended with Gray tossing Natsu into a waiter, who was bringing Erza a souffle, which fell to the ground, causing Erza to go mad with rage and, in the process of brutalizing the boys for their crime, destroyed the entire building. The guild was forced to pay for the damage, and in the end, Lucy didn't get her rent money.

Lucy accepted the money gratefully, saying she would pay him back somehow, to which Gray replied with the offer of a weekend away. "I think we both need to de-stress after last week's fiasco," he had said. That was a sentiment Lucy could get behind wholeheartedly.

And so it was that Lucy found herself checking into the Thalia Bed and Breakfast with Gray at her side. The place was beautiful, obviously meant for couples, but she supposed they did good business with mages in town on a job or something.

"Hi, I have a reservation for Gray Fullbuster this weekend," said Gray. "The owner should have everything covered.

The receptionist, a middle-aged brunette woman, looked over her information and smiled. "Oh, you're the Fairy Tail mages Mrs. Roseley mentioned!" she said. "There was a little bit of confusion a couple days ago on that matter."

"Confusion?" repeated Lucy. "What happened?"

"You see, a terrible monster has been plaguing our town for several weeks," the receptionist explained. "We couldn't afford mages from, say, Lamia Scale, or even Sabertooth, so we took our problem to Fairy Tail."

"Gee, it's really encouraging to know that our guild was the cheapest one available," said Gray bitterly.

"Oh, dear, you mustn't think that way!" said the receptionist. "Fairy Tail has served us well in the past, before the collapse, and we were only too happy to get them back on their feet again!"

"Great," said Gray disinterestedly. "So about the other Fairy Tail mages?"

"Well, they came into town, destroyed the monster, and are currently staying here for a couple days before going back home. We thought they were the mages Mrs. Roseley informed us of, but they called themselves Natsu Dragneel and Erza Scarlet," explained the receptionist.

"Wait... Natsu and Erza are here?" asked Lucy.

"Those were the names they gave," replied the receptionist.

"But... isn't this a couples' place?" asked Lucy.

"Well, the Thalia Bed and Breakfast does cater mostly to couples, but over the years, we've accommodated several mages from various guilds," said the receptionist. "Shall I let them know you're here? I'm sure they'd love to hear from you!"

"Uh, no thank you," said Gray. "I'd rather not have Erza swearing vengeance on my head."

"Aye!" agreed Lucy. To herself, she mumbled, "Oh God, I'm turning into Happy."

The receptionist took a key without either mage noticing and placed it on the counter. "Your room number is 208, 2 for the floor, 08 for the room. Incidentally, your friends' room is number 306 if you decide you want to visit them," she said. "My name is Peggy, and I'm the manager on duty. If you need anything, you both just come to me."

"Thanks," said Gray, taking the key. He motioned for Lucy to follow, and the Celestial mage did without a word. Damn Gray, she thought. If the others found out, they'd have the guild convinced they were a couple by this time Monday!

But is that really a bad thing? Well, she had the whole weekend to decide that.

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><p><strong>Okay, I think that's enough for now. Remember, I'm just posting this as a new idea. If people like it, I will continue. If not, I will delete it. Simple as that.<strong>

**So until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt. Take care, everyone.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, people, Nightlingbolt here. Welcome back to more "Scenes from the Fairy Tail Guild."**

**Just a little something I've noticed about the way I've been writing this story: I've been focusing more on interactions between characters, especially as far as Gray and Lucy go. Because, let's face it, they don't have as deep a connection with each other as Natsu and Erza, or even Erza and Jellal. I do have an idea for how Jellal could live free, but knowing Mashima's writing style, it's probably not gonna happen. I guess I'll post it on my Tumblr.**

**Yes, I have a Tumblr now. I know I said I had a blog, but I figure more people have Tumblr than Blogspot, and besides, I needed that blog so I could comment on someone else's blog. So yeah, follow my Tumblr (URL nightlingbolt . tumblr . com (remove the spaces)), where I'll be posting fanfiction snippets, be it theories, scenes, or anything else I may write. Actually, part of the reason for updating now is to plug it, so if someone follows my Tumblr, mission accomplished.**

**But enough shameless self-promotion. On with the story!**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

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><p>Erza Scarlet lied in her hotel bed content with the world. She and her boyfriend had just defeated a terrible monster (which couldn't even be called dirt on her blade), and they were recuperaring in their hotel room.<p>

Her lover's mischievous hand roamed her stomach as she giggled at his touch. Now, if you knew anything about the woman known far and wide as Titania, you would know that she did NOT giggle. However, what most didn't realize was that was a pleasure she only indulged in when a trusted partner was instigating it.

His hand traveled northward, but just as it approached the forbidden valley, Erza slapped it away. "Stop it, Natsu," she said sternly. The pink-haired young man just gave a coy smile.

"Don't take that holier-than-thou attitude with me," he growled lightly. "Your body is ready. I can smell your need." This only earned the Dragon Slayer a punch to the face.

Damn Dragon Slayer, being so damn seductive!

Erza's gaze softened as she sat up and looked at Natsu. "Look," she said. "I want this as much as you do. But I have to be sure that this is what I want before I'm willing to take that leap."

"But you said you want it, so why aren't we doing it?" asked Natsu.

Erza sighed. "How to explain this..." she muttered. She clasped her hands together. "All right. Imagine our relationship is chocolate."

"What kind of chocolate?" asked Natsu.

"Does it really matter?" asked Erza in reply.

"Is it white? You know I'm allergic to white."

"It's not white. That's all you need to know! Now may I please continue with my explanation?"

"Just as soon as you tell me what kind of chocolate."

"Fine! Milk chocolate! Now let me speak!" The tone in Erza's voice left no room to argue. "So our relationship is milk chocolate."

"Uh-huh."

"Now imagine that peppermint is the... physical aspect of our relationship." You could tell Erza wasn't totally comfortable with the idea yet. "Two good things that may not go together at first, but if you can find the right recipe, you'll find that they're even better than you could imagine them separately. Are you getting this, Natsu?"

Natsu took a few moments to comprehend everything, but once he did, his face lit up. "I get it! You're saying we need to do it a few times before you're comfortable!"

Erza slapped her palm to her forehead. "No, you idiot!" she said harshly. "You know what? Enough euphamisms! I don't want a physical relationship until I feel satisfied with our romantic relationship!"

"Well, if that's what you were trying to say, why didn't you just say it? You know I need the direct approach with these things!" said Natsu.

"You know what? Close the curtain," said Erza. "I just want to sleep until dinnertime." She laid back down and turned over, facing away from her frustrating boyfriend with a loud grunt.

"Love you," said Natsu. Though he wouldn't let his voice show it, he was unsure if he was in any trouble.

"Love you too," mumbled Erza. "Now shut up and let me sleep."

Natsu got up to close the curtains like Erza asked. He knew what he was getting into when he asked Erza to be his girlfriend, but hey, that's part of why he loved her.

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><p>When Gray turned the key to open up their room, Lucy was... a little shocked, but mostly surprised.<p>

The room was painted baby blue, with dark purple carpeting. The room was sparsely furnished, a desk, a wooden and easy chair making up the extent of the furniture. But what really caught her attention was the bed, with an emphasis on the singular usage.

"I... I... I have to share a bed... with you... all weekend?" stuttered Lucy.

"Well, I don't mind sleeping in the easy chair if that's a problem," said Gray.

"No... it's fine..." said Lucy, though she did sound quite unsure of herself. Gray sighed in response.

"Look," he said. "I didn't know we'd have to do the whole 'couple' thing. I honestly thought this would be a nice weekend away from the guild. We can still have that, but first we need to trust each other."

Lucy blushed, knowing exactly what Gray meant. "No, I trust you! It's just... weird!" she said. "I mean, we're just friends, aren't we?"

"Should we be more?" asked Gray. Noticing Lucy freeze up at the question, he chuckled. "Take it easy, I was just kidding."

Lucy gave a nervous smile. "I know," she said. "But maybe we should set some... ground rules."

"Right. Ground rules. That's good," agreed Gray. He put his fingertips on the bed, right in the middle. "Ice-Make: Line!" he said. Ice erupted from his fingers and made a neat line dividing the bed into two sections.

"There we go," he said. "Rule one: Neither of us crosses this line."

"Great!" said Lucy, feeling relieved. "And now that I think of it, rule two: we both sleep with something on. By something, I mean boxers and a shirt at the very least." Gray looked like he was forced to swallow something bitter, but he ultimately gave in.

"Fine. Anything else?" he asked.

"Nothing comes to mind," said Lucy.

"Fantastic," said Gray, obviously relieved to have this whole deal sorted out. He looked at the clocks on the nightstands. They more or less read 2:30. "Hey, check for a list of restaurants. We didn't eat on the way here, and I'm starting to get hungry."

"I brought some snacks to tide us over until dinner," said Lucy. "I'll go get 'em."

As Lucy reached for the snack bag, she had to admit that she had her doubts about this trip, but so far, she and Gray were getting along nicely. Of course, today was only Thursday, so there was still time for things to go wrong. And if she knew anything about Fairy Tail, things would indeed go wrong somehow.

She looked into the bag and saw crumbs, open chip bags, and a peculiar blue cat. "Hi, Lucy!" he said.

"HAPPY!" screamed Lucy.

Yep, things were starting to go wrong.

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><p>Natsu's sensitive hearing caught a young woman screaming. Oddly enough, it sounded like Lucy screaming Happy's name. Shrugging it off as coincidence, he laid back on the bed.<p>

No need to wake a sleeping Titania over nothing, right?

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><p><strong>And there we go!<strong>

**I would've posted this as soon as I wrote it, but I was just mulling around ideas for the third chapter, and I had to decide whether to introduce Crime Sorciere into the story. In the end, I couldn't introduce them in a manner I thought I could live up to, so I decided on a random segue back to Juvia's plot. I hope the flow of the story is making sense so far. Though I think I have a plan for Crime Sorciere's storyline, or at least their entrance. We'll see.**

**And with a final reminder to follow me on Tumblr, this is Nightlingbolt wishing you all peace and love. Take care.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, people. Nightlingbolt here. Welcome to the third chapter of "Scenes from the Fairy Tail Guild."**

**This chapter kind of strayed away from my original plan, but I kind of liked how this turned out. And I'm sorry I haven't really been writing that much, but I've kind of been playing through Pokemon White again. You see, I want to catch Landorus on Black, but I have no one to trade me a Thundurus to go with my Tornadus, so I kind of had to play through the whole game. I just caught my Thundurus last night, so technically, all I have to do is attach my Plume Fossil to it and trade it over to Black.**

**Ah, but you clicked here for Fairy Tail, not Pokemon. But before we start, I want to mention I won an award on Serebii's forums for best Comashipping fic (it was a dare from two years ago, I finished it last year, and it won an award this year), which is kind of getting me in the mood to write Pokemon fanfiction again, so don't be surprised if you see a few Pokemon fics under my name in the coming months. Anyway, back to Fairy Tail! Enjoy!**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does. I do, however, own Embre.**

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><p>The last thing Lucy expected to see when opening the snacks bag was a certain blue Exceed having eaten half the snacks. Actually, that was the second-to-last thing. The last was him being there at all.<p>

"Happy," Lucy growled. "What are you doing here?"

Happy cowered underneath Lucy's murderous aura, much to Gray's disapproval. "Calm down, Lucy. You know Happy won't give you a straight answer if he feels threatened," the ice mage said. Stepping in between his friends, Gray asked Happy the same question Lucy did, although much more patiently.

"I was hoping to see Natsu," said the Exceed. "He and Erza have been going on missions together a lot, and I remember their last one being in this town, so when I heard you guys were going to Thalia, I snuck myself into Lucy's snack bag."

"Yeah, I did think it was weird that Natsu wouldn't invite Happy," said Lucy.

"They liiiiiike each other," trilled Happy. "I think they're dooooooing it."

"Have you ever asked Natsu about it?" asked Lucy.

"Why bother?" said Gray. "That flamehead probably doesn't know what 'doing it' means."

"Well, I've noticed Natsu's been cleaning more than usual," said Happy. "And Erza's been coming over lately. You should've seen her reaction to Natsu's Erza training dummy!" The cat giggled in glee at the memory of Natsu's misfortune.

"I'm truly sorry I missed that," said Gray.

"You guys are jerks," said Lucy. "Natsu doesn't deserve those mean things you're saying about him!"

"You're probably right," said Gray. "Doesn't stop them from being hilarious, though."

"Besides!" said Happy. "You've said plenty of mean things about Natsu yourself! Like 'idiot,' 'moron,' 'moocher...'

"He IS a moocher!" said Lucy in self-defense.

The trio's antics were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. Lucy checked the peephole and saw a young woman with dark brown hair in a maid uniform. "Can I help you?" prompted Lucy.

"Housekeeping. We forgot to give you fresh towels," the maid said. Neither Lucy nor Gray had been in the bathroom yet, but she did have a trolley with a pile of neatly folded towels, so Lucy opened the door to receive the towels.

However, the maid invited herself in, much to Lucy's surprise, and as she closed the door, she flashed with a bright light. When it faded, a white-haired girl appeared in her place.

"Mira?" exclaimed Lucy in surprise.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Gray.

"I had a photo shoot in town today," explained Mirajane. "However, before I left, Master mentioned something about you guys being here this weekend, so when my shoot was over... well, I guess I just wanted to say hello. So, hello!"

"Uhhh... hi?" replied Lucy nervously.

"How's it going?" asked Gray politely.

"But wow, Gray. Imagine you spending a romantic weekend with Lucy, of all people!" said Mirajane in amazement, though Lucy could tell she was just hamming it up.

"Aye! He liiiikes her!" said Happy, causing Gray's brow to twitch.

"Shut up! I didn't know we'd have to do the whole couple thing!" shouted the ice mage.

"Ooooh, Lucy! I wonder how Juvia will react!" said Mirajane mischievously.

That thought made Lucy pale.

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><p>The day of Romeo's class had arrived, and Juvia was late. She was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago, and Totomaru-sensei's lecture was almost over. In another few minutes, he would start the practical portion of the class with a demonstration of the day's lesson, which couldn't happen if the assistant – Juvia – wasn't there to assist!<p>

Romeo's mind started racing with all sorts of possibilities. What if Juvia had been kidnapped by a dark mage? What if someone attacked her? What if she got sick? If Juvia didn't show up, Romeo would be the laughing stock of the class!

"All right, that's enough theory for today," said Totomaru. "A reminder for those who weren't listening, _Romeo._" The other kids snickered at the Fourth Master's son. Great, he's already a laughing stock!

"Today's lesson covers strategies to defeat water mages," Totomaru continued. "Romeo! Can you name one way of defending against water magic?"

"Uhhh..." Romeo hated it when sensei put him on the spot like this. "Create a wall of fire?"

"Correct!" said Totomaru. "A strong fire wall will heat the water to evaporation. But remember, the heat of your flame is only proportionate to the level of magical power you invest into it. The larger or hotter the flame is, the more magic it uses. Alternatively, users of Blue Fire can – Embre!"

At the mention of her name, a strawberry blonde girl about Romeo's age stood up. "Those proficient in the use of Blue Fire may freeze water attacks aimed at them, rendering the attack into a harmless chunk of ice. Of course, how much you freeze depends on the volume of the water and the overall magical output of the caster," she recited in a polite manner.

"Excellent as always, Embre," complimented Totomaru.

"Thank you, Totomaru-sensei," replied Embre, her green eyes shining with pride.

"Teacher's pet," grumbled Romeo. He really did not like that girl. Probably because her father was a member of Twilight Ogre, but mostly because, as he said, she was such a teacher's pet.

"I heard that!" said Totomaru sharply. "Just for that, I'm giving the last question to you. What is Purple Fire's use in countering water magic?"

"Crap!" Romeo said to himself. What was it his father had taught him about Purple Fire?

"Well? Sensei is waiting, Conbolt-san," said Embre.

"Uhhh... I... er..." Romeo was starting to panic. He needed a miracle to save him from this!

"Purple Fire will cause the water to stick to the flame, allowing the caster to redirect it back as a projectile, assuming his control of the flame is stronger than his opponent's control of the water," said a voice.

Everyone looked up, and to Romeo's delight, Juvia had appeared in the doorway, though he was surprised to see Wendy with her. "Juvia is sorry, Totomaru-sensei, but Juvia had to stop a robbery on her way here," Juvia explained.

Totomaru could only stare. Juvia looked beautiful, even more so now that she wore a smile on her face. It wasn't the sad, friendly smiles that Juvia used to give during their time as Phantom mages. No, the smile was genuine. A look out the window told him the sun was shining brightly, and the sky was blue as ever.

Finally remembering himself, Totomaru said, "That's right. And it bears repeating – the level of stick is directly proportionate to the caster's magical output." He clapped his hands and said, "Everyone, this is Juvia Lockser. She's a mage of Fairy Tail specializing in Water magic, and has agreed to be your sparring partner for today. You will each practice repelling her attacks in turns with your various fire spells. Starting with Blue Fire. Embre, you will practice with Juvia first.

"Yes, sensei," smiled Embre. She and Juvia took battle stances across from each other.

Totomaru raised his sword in the air, and with a downward slash, he yelled, "Begin!"

"Water Slicer!" yelled Juvia. A single blade of water shot forth at Embre.

"Blue Fire," called Embre calmly. She held her hands up, and a shield of cold blue flames erupted in front of her. The water blade hit the flames and was instantly frozen. As Embre dispelled the flames, the frozen water fell to the floor and shattered, and the other students looked on impressed.

"Amazing!" one said.

"So cool!" cheered another.

"That's the Prodigy of Twilight Ogre for ya!" said a third.

Embre continued defending with Purple Fire and a few other colors that Wendy had no idea what they did. Maybe it was the fact that she was from Twilight Ogre, the guild that had bullied Fairy Tail for seven years. Maybe it was the fact that she was labeled a prodigy. Or maybe it was the fact that she was just plain pretty. Whatever it was, Wendy didn't particularly like the other girl.

Totomaru called a few other names, and the students that belonged to them practiced their techniques against Juvia. Suddenly, Romeo took a seat next to the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Hey," he said. "So what are you doing here?" Not that Romeo minded. These days, being from Fairy Tail was equal to being a freak among his peers. After all, if you weren't going to join a good guild like Sabertooth or Lamia Scale, why bother being a mage? At least that was the logic they used.

"Oh," said Wendy softly. "I just thought it would be good to get out of the guild for a while. You know, with my team gone and all."

Romeo smiled. Though not an official member of Natsu's team, Wendy felt their relationship was close enough that they were like "pseudo-teammates." "What about Gajeel-san?" he asked.

"He went off to take a mission," said Wendy. "Juvia was supposed to go with him, but she insisted on helping out here. In fact..." Here, Wendy blushed a bit. "It was Juvia's idea for me to come and watch."

Romeo gave a light laugh. "Well then, I guess I gotta look cool now that a guildmate's watching!" he said with a grin.

Wendy's blush only intensified at Romeo's remark. "Yeah," she said. Changing the subject, she said, "Embre-san is really cool, isn't she?"

Romeo's face turned sour. "She's all right, I guess," he said. "If you can get over the fact that she's a stuck-up bitch."

"Romeo-kun!" exclaimed Wendy, gasping at his choice of language.

"She is!" said Romeo. "Every single day, she asks me to leave Fairy Tail and join Twilight Ogre! Says she only wants to keep me from ruining my mage career before it even starts or some crap like that."

Something inside Wendy started to boil. Insulting the guild that had taken her and Carla in when they lost everything, and trying to steal away one of the members that welcomed them back with open arms...

Unforgivable!

Romeo noticed scales start to form on Wendy's face. Not knowing what to do, he just slapped her on the back reassuringly.

"Hey! Don't be like that!" said Romeo. "You were on the team that disbanded Oracion Seis, one of the strongest dark guilds in the world, and you even came out of battle with Grimoire Heart's master alive! On top of that, you can use a Lost Magic that helps everyone! I'd rather be in a guild with an amazing person like you than a stuck-up genius like her any day!"

Wendy looked at Romeo. She wanted to point out that Natsu and Erza and the others had done all the real fighting, but his comment about her magic helping everyone calmed her down. Still... what was this effect he was having on her?

"Romeo!" Totomaru's sharp voice called. It was his turn.

"Well, I'm up," said Romeo, standing up."

"Remember to look cool, Romeo-kun," she said.

"Yeah!" said Romeo confidently. He took his place opposite Juvia on the sparring grounds.

"On my mark, demonstrate your use of Purple Fire to defend," ordered Totomaru. He slashed his sword downwards and yelled, "Begin!"

"Water Slicer!" yelled Juvia. Once again, a blade of water shot towards Romeo.

"Purple Fire!" shouted Romeo. He fired a purple fireball from his hand. True to Juvia's words, the water stuck to the flame. However, Juvia's control was greater, and the fireball, now influenced by the water, turned on Romeo and exploded all over him.

"Romeo-kun!" yelled Wendy.

"Damn it!" Juvia cursed.

"Are you all right, Romeo?" asked Totomaru.

"Yeah," replied Romeo. "I'm just covered in fiery goop, that's all."

The other students started laughing uncontrollably at Romeo's mistake. Even Wendy couldn't help cracking a smile, though it was only at Romeo's enthusiasm.

"I said defend, not counterattack!" yelled Totomaru.

"It's Juvia's fault!" said Juvia quickly. "Juvia should have held back her power to match Romeo-kun's level!"

All of a sudden, Totomaru couldn't help noticing how pouty Juvia's face had become. Juvia barely showed any emotion in Phantom Lord, not even concern for her guildmates' well-being, Gajeel and himself being the only exceptions. Now, here she was, pleading with him to go easy on a student who had disobeyed him.

"Get yourself cleaned up, Romeo," ordered Totomaru. "After class, you will write 'The best defense is not always a strong offense' 200 times."

"Awww!" groaned Romeo. The class laughed some more. He trudged off to clean himself up, but on the way, Wendy stopped him.

"That was great, Romeo-kun," she said sincerely.

"No it wasn't," grumbled Romeo. "I was supposed to look cool. I... I let you down, Wendy."

"No, Romeo-kun," said Wendy. "You made me smile today. And making someone you care about smile is more important than looking cool."

Romeo's expression softened. "Yeah," he said. "I guess it is."

Juvia looked at the younger mages fondly. She knew, looking back on today, Romeo and Wendy would look at it as the day they first started to bond. Who knows? Maybe it would be the first step towards something greater.

Only time would tell.

* * *

><p><strong>What I meant by straying from my original plan was I had intended for Totomaru to ask Juvia out, but then, I decided I wanted Wendy to show up, and from there I started writing a RoWen scene. But I think I still managed to keep a good does of TotoJuvi in here, so in the end, this chapter has something for everyone... except the Crime Sorciere fans.<strong>

**You know, I'm actually considering not writing any JellalxUltear for this story. I mean, I honestly can't think of any way to write Crime Sorciere into this story without making Fairy Tail fight some sort of dark guild, which would mean creating characters, which would mean coming up with a unique magic for each one... I barely managed to drum up characters for Lucky Star, another project I need to get back into. Plus I promised a Pearlshipping story for someone on Serebii, I want to get ABCs done before its anniversary, not to mention I'm getting back into finding a job and studying for my learner's permit... yeah, lotta shit on my plate.**

**Oh well, I'll figure something out as soon as I defeat Ghetsis on White. So until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to more Scenes from the Fairy Tail Guild!**

**I gotta say, I've been giving this story a lot of love lately. I mean, I did some work on the next ABCs chapter, but I've also completely neglected Meddling and Lucky Star, and I still need to get started on that Young Justice story, though now that new episodes are back on, I doubt I can keep it canon compliant. I mean, the Fairy Tail timeskip screwed the fanfiction community royally, at least from what I've seen, which means ABCs and Lucky Star need to act as if that little plot twist never even happened. And I have to overhaul my resume... you know what? We're starting this thing! I wanna get this done before I start forcing my IRL problems on you all! Action!**

**I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

><p>Juvia and Wendy were waiting patiently for Romeo to finish the lines Totomaru had set him. The water mage had felt guilty about causing Romeo to be punished through no fault of his own, but she could see where Totomaru was coming from. After all, Romeo had attacked with reckless abandon, and if that hadn't been a controlled sparring session, the enemy could easily capitalize on Romeo's dropped guard and... she didn't even want to think about it.<p>

It was funny. Back when she was a member of Phantom Lord, Juvia barely gave a second thought to the well-being of her comrades. But now, as a mage of Fairy Tail, she had learned to care about the people she fought with. That dull rain cloud of apathy had long since cleared, and Juvia had found a guild she could love.

And now that she thought about it, Totomaru had changed considerably as well. Once upon a time, he was a selfish brat, or at least that's how he displayed himself to the rest of the guild. But here he was, teaching young mages like Romeo the magic he practiced himself. Try as she may, Juvia couldn't imagine the Totomaru she knew back then educating young minds.

The door to the classroom opened, and Totomaru came walking out. He noticed Wendy and Juvia standing there and said, "You're still here? Go home already."

"Juvia would, but Wendy-chan is worried about Romeo-kun. Juvia is here for moral support."

Totomaru patted Wendy's hair. "I wouldn't worry about Romeo," he said. "That boy is one of my top students." With a frown, he added, "When he wants to be."

"Romeo-kun's been working hard in the seven years we were gone," said Wendy with a smile. "Maybe someday, he'll even be able to beat Natsu-san, or even-."

At the mention of Natsu's name, Totomaru's eyes visibly twitched. "Don't... mention... that... name..." he ground out.

Wendy got nervous. "Did I... say something wrong?" she asked as tears started to form.

"Not at all, Wendy-chan!" Juvia reassured the Dragon Slayer. "Toto's just a sore loser, that's all!"

"I don't mind losing to someone," said Totomaru. "But that guy... he insults me! I mean, the guy actually wants to eat my different colors of fire!"

"So?" asked Juvia.

"So?" exclaimed Totomaru. "My Rainbow Fire is highly advanced Fire magic! Not an all-you-can-eat buffet! I won't ever forgive him for making a mockery out of my magic!"

Juvia sweatdropped. Maybe Totomaru hadn't changed as much as she thought he had. But then, the more things change, the more they stay the same, right?

Totomaru cleared his throat. "Anyway," he said. "I was thinking that, once Romeo finishes his work, we could... you know... grab a bite to eat, and catch up, talk about old times... I mean..." he blushed. "If you want to..."

Juvia smiled. "That sounds wonderful, Toto!" she said. "Juvia just needs to make sure Wendy-chan and Romeo-kun get back to the guild safely, and then Juvia will meet you at 8 Paradise at 7."

Totomaru was shocked. She said yes. She actually said yes! This was very surprising, considering Romeo's tales of her pining over her "Gray-sama." Could it be that she didn't realize the romantic intentions behind this get-together?

No. That train of thought would not lead to anything good. Best to just accept what he was given and decide the next course of action accordingly.

The classroom door opening snapped Totomaru out of his thoughts. "Sensei, I finished my lines," said Romeo.

"Gaah! You little brat! How dare you eavesdrop on other people's conversations!" yelled Totomaru in a panic.

Romeo flinched, but handed the sheets of parchment to his teacher. Sure enough, he had written "The best defense is not always a strong offense" two-hundred times.

"Everything looks good," said Totomaru as he took another glance at the parchment. "Fine! You're free to go! I'll see you Monday," he said.

"Thank you, Sensei," said Romeo, bowing to his teacher. "And about tonight... don't play any games and just be yourself. My father learned that the hard way."

Totomaru smiled at his student. "Thank you, Romeo," he said sincerely. Suddenly, realization dawned on him. "So you WERE eavesdropping, you brat!" he accused.

"Not on purpose!" Romeo tried defending himself.

His sensei could be a scary guy sometimes.

* * *

><p>One of the bad things about being a Fire Dragon Slayer was how much more you sweat compared to the average human. Your body temperature is naturally higher, meaning you sweat more, but being accustomed to heat, you don't really notice how much you sweat until someone brings it to your attention.<p>

That was something Erza was unfortunate enough to notice about Natsu. His B.O had gotten to the point where she could smell it, and she had ordered him into the shower to take care of it. Occasions like these made her muse on how little their relationship had changed since she became his girlfriend. She still managed to instill the fear of God into him, and he still demanded the occasional duel every now and then.

But when they were alone, their relationship would take on a whole new dynamic. She rarely wore armor when it was just the two of them, and he was far less brash than he would be around the guild. Sure, he would get a little frisky, but he understood her reluctance to take that leap of faith.

Because it wasn't called a leap of faith for no reason. You needed to have the utmost confidence in what you were about to attempt, else it would only end badly for all involved.

One of the big reasons for Erza's reluctance to... progress... the relationship was because she still thought about Jellal every now and again. Sure, he had made it clear that he thought getting involved with each other was a bad idea, what with his fugitive status and all.

Still, she wanted to be sure that she had entered into this relationship with Natsu for all the right reasons; that she was genuinely attracted to him, rather than a surrogate Jellal. Because no matter how she sliced it, Natsu's personality was pretty damn close to Jellal's during their slave days: bright, kindhearted, determined, willing to fight for the sake of others...

Jellal had changed in so many ways since their slave days. Where his eyes once saw a light at the end of the tunnel, they now saw eternal darkness. And he had resigned himself to that darkness, fighting for that light at the end of the tunnel.

Natsu, however, was fire. He didn't fear the darkness, for he was an eternal source of light. And it was that light that made him strong, that kept him fighting, that attracted her to him like a moth to a flame.

Yes, sometimes she had her doubts, but thinking back on Natsu's warm embrace, his arms wrapping around her, protecting her like no armor could, his searing heat owning her completely, she would wonder why she was so reluctant to express that love physically. On that train of thought, she resolved to tell Jellal the truth about herself and Natsu. Only then would she allow herself to bask in her dragon's touch.

But for now, she would simply ogle the Dragon Slayer as he came out of the shower, steam pouring out of the bathroom, the pinkette smelling of that strawberry-scented shampoo he knew she loved.

"Ahhh, that felt good!" said Natsu cheerfully as he stretched his arms. No sooner had he lowered them than he found Erza pinning him against the wall, breathing deep Natsu's scent.

"Erza, what are you doing?" asked Natsu.

"You smell nice," said Erza simply.

Natsu blinked. "Uh, Erza... I'm a Dragon Slayer, not a Dog Slayer. Dragons generally don't sniff each other," he said.

Erza pulled away slowly. "You have zero concept of intimacy, don't you?" she deadpanned.

"Well, maybe I'd rather you were turned on by my natural scent instead of shampoo! Is that so wrong?" said Natsu indignantly.

"Well then, I'm sorry I don't want the scent of sulfur and brimstone penetrating my every fiber!" said Erza.

"That's what she said," said Natsu.

Erza looked at her boyfriend like he had sprouted another head. "How is that what she said?" she asked.

"Penetrating," said Natsu simply.

Erza punched Natsu into the door with enough force to knock it off its hinges. The Dragon Slayer groaned in pain, yet couldn't ignore the butterflies his girlfriend's punch stirred up in him. He looked up to see some familiar faces.

"Lucy!" he exclaimed

"Natsu!" shouted Happy excitedly.

"Happy!"

"Aye!"

"Lucy? Happy?" repeated Erza nervously. She peered out the doorway and did indeed spy the blonde Celestial mage and the blue Exceed, along with their mutual friend and teammate, Gray, and her fellow S-Class mage, Mirajane.

"_Of all the guild members, why those guys? They can't keep a secret to save their lives!"_ thought Erza in a panic. She didn't want anyone to know about her and Natsu yet, and by the time they got back, it would be all over the guild! _"What the hell are they even doing here, anyway?"_

"What are you guys doing here, anyway?" asked Natsu, vocalizing the question the Titania wanted to ask.

"I got an invite up here as a reward for a mission, and I wanted to make it up to Lucy," explained Gray. "You know... after that... incident."

"Your fault, by the way," said Natsu.

"You think I don't know that, Flame Head?" snapped Gray.

"No, I thought you just invited Lucy for a romantic holiday," said Natsu sarcastically.

"You mean he didn't?" quipped Happy, an impish smirk on his face.

"Shut it, you damn cat!" yelled Lucy, her cheeks tinted pink. To his credit, Gray was blushing just as much. And all Natsu did was laugh hysterically at his "discovery," accompanied by soft chuckles from Mirajane.

Finally, Erza had had enough of the scene before her. "ENOUGH!" she bellowed. Everyone instantly sobered up at her "don't-fuck-with-me" voice. Casting a glare at Natsu, she said, "Get dressed! We have company." Indeed, Natsu had only been wearing a towel when Erza slammed him through the door.

"Aye, sir!" said Natsu hastily, clambering back into the room to change.

Gray watched his rival with amusement. "Huh," he said. "It's usally me who's got no clothes."

"Such as right now?" said Erza. Gray looked down at himself and sprinted back to his and Lucy's room to get fresh clothes.

Erza took a deep, calming breath. "Now, Lucy. For what reason did you visit us?" she asked.

Knowing better than to take Erza's gentle voice for granted, Lucy spoke. "Mira had the idea that we should all go out to dinner tonight," she said. "She said we could try that fancy place in the village."

"Photo shoots pay pretty well," commented the Take Over mage.

Erza thought about it for a moment, and decided that this was a good idea. "All right," she said with a smile. "What time are we leaving?"

"In about an hour," said Mira. Sneaking behind Erza, she whispered into her former rival's ear, "I'm sure you need to make yourself pretty for Natsu."

Erza's whole body stiffened. "How did you-?" She was silenced by Mirajane's hand on her shoulder.

"The eyes and ears of the Demon see and hear all," whispered Mirajane. "By the way, the word you were looking for earlier is 'permeated.'"

"Same difference!" pouted Erza.

"Maybe," said Mirajane. "But 'permeated' doesn't invite 'that's what she said' jokes." The Demon giggled. "Ooo, I'm going to enjoy this!"

Erza could only respond by blushing.

* * *

><p><strong>Yep! This is mostly a prelude to a couple dinner dates. Don't expect much out of the next chapters, just the dinners unfolding, and Crime Sorciere finally appearing. On second thought, that is something to expect. Never mind!<strong>

**Oh yeah, one more thing. I mentioned starting a Tumblr a while ago. Well, I put up a Lucy meme on it. All the details should be there, and I'm going to make this Tumblr my homepage of sorts, since I don't really have anything else. So depending on the reaction, I'll probably write at least one of those. But whatever I decide to write, peace and love from Nightlingbolt until then. Bye-bye.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to more "Scenes from the Fairy Tail Guild!"**

**The good news: Crime Sorciere makes their appearance at long last! The bad news: Totomaru and Juvia's date will have to wait a chapter or two, because we got a fight a-brewin'! Yeeeah-uhh! No point spoiling anything, let's just jump right into it!**

**I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does. I own Midnight Fog, Master Dokuro, and Duke Leiden and his daughter, who all have a theme around them. Care to guess?**

* * *

><p>Meredy hated fancy restaurants. Sure, they were pretty, but the waiters were all so stuffy and boring, it wasn't even worth the effort to enjoy yourself. And the music! All they ever played was classical! She could never hum along to any of the songs! Well, she could, but what was the point of humming if there weren't any words to go with the melody?<p>

It wasn't fair! Why did she have to suffer just because this was a favorite restaurant of some politician? Okay, so she had accepted that punishment was the rule of Crime Sorciere, but this... this was torture! "Sieghart! I'm bored!" she whined, making sure to use her leader's alias.

"How do you think the rest of us feel?" hissed Sieghart, or as she and Ultear knew him, Jellal. Using Transformation magic, he had changed his hair color to brown, and his eyes were a dull green. His distinctive tattoo (birthmark? Burn? What the hell was that thing, anyway?), and he wore fancy black clothes, once again thanks to Transformation magic.

"Oh, I don't know, Sieghart," said Ultear. "I think it's a nice change from what we've been doing." Her disguise consisted of a green variant of her Grimoire Heart dress and a simple change to blond hair.

"I don't see the change, Telura," said Jellal. Making sure no one was paying them any mind, he continued. "We're here to stop the Midnight Fog guild from kidnapping Duke Leiden's daughter. Right now, they're independent, but according to your information, Melody, they plan to hold her for a high ransom, presumably enough to allow them to operate as a legal guild."

"Right," said Melody/Meredy. "Once legalized, they plan to extort 'protection money' from the townspeople. At least, that's all I know about their plans."

Ultear gave Meredy a stern glare. "Melody, what have I told you about being thorough with your investigations?" she asked the currently orange-haired girl.

"I tried, Ul!" Meredy protested, forgetting to use the other woman's alias. "But the master's lips were sealed, and the guild members don't know any more than I do!"

"Never mind their plans for now!" interjected Jellal. "Melody, you're the one on the inside. What's their plan of attack?"

"Master Dokuro will use his Smoke magic to create a two-pronged effect: obscuring everybody's view to eliminate any witnesses to the kidnapping, and stripping any mages in the room not affiliated with Midnight Fog of their magic power."

"And given your 'affiliation' with Midnight Fog..." said Jellal.

"...You'll be the only one capable of stopping the guild members situated all over the restaurant," Ultear finished. "Can you handle it?"

"In my sleep, Ul!" said Meredy with confidence. Suddenly, she noticed familiar locks of pink and scarlet, along with accompanying heads of blonde, black, and white.

"It's Fairy Tail!" she whispered excitedly.

"Fairy Tail?" repeated Jellal. He turned his head, and sure enough, he saw Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Mirajane, and... Erza.

"What should we do, Sieghart?" asked Ultear. "Should we cut them in on the plan?"

"No," said Jellal. "They came here to eat and, hopefully have a good time. We came here to stop a dark guild. Let them enjoy themselves for now. All hell's going to break loose in a few minutes anyway."

"Sounds to me like you don't wanna see Erza!" said Meredy playfully.

"JUST PREPARE TO DO YOUR JOB!" yelled Jellal as he blushed profusely.

Meredy's only reply was to giggle.

Ultear sighed. "Just start the Sensory Link so we can get into position," she said.

"Right!" she said.

* * *

><p>"Fairy Tail is here!" announced Natsu boisterously as he and the others entered the restaurant. "Number one guild in Fiore, that's right!"<p>

"Natsu, shut up!" hiseed Lucy. "Don't embarrass us like you did last time we all went out!"

"Lucy's right, Natsu," said Erza sternly. "This is not the kind of restaurant you eat at every day, and I won't have you – any of you! - making a scene. Am I understood?"

"Aye!" everyone chorused.

"Good," said Erza. Turning to the host, she said, "We have a reservation for five under the name 'Strauss.'

The host looked at his chart and nodded. "Right this way," he said. However, before anyone could move, Natsu darted into the dining area suddenly.

"Natsu!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Bathroom!" said Natsu. "I can find it!" With that, Natsu disappeared into the crowd. Erza looked at Gray for some sort of explanation.

"When you gotta go, you gotta go," said the Ice mage simply. No one replied as they were led to their table.

* * *

><p>Meredy felt the Midnight Fog mark underneath her gloved hand start to burn. "Guys! It's starting!" she told her teammates.<p>

"You know the plan," said Jellal to Ultear. The woman nodded, and they both got up from the table, leaving Meredy alone. She glanced at the dark guild's master, a tired-looking man with gray hair and dark circles around his eyes. He stood up and expelled a black smoke from his palms, covering the entire area.

As one would expect, there was a panic. Anyone who wasn't a Midnight Fog member was either coughing loudly or screaming in terror, and Meredy couldn't see the girl she was supposed to be protecting through the haze. She did, however, make out the voices of the Fairy Tail members.

"What's going on?" asked Lucy

"I can't see a thing!" said Gray.

"Everyone be on your guard!" ordered Erza.

The smoke cleared, and Meredy saw Master Dokuro sling an unconscious blonde woman over his shoulder, her two companions out cold. Some of the guild members did the same with bystanders they had knocked out. The rest were picking off the civilians.

"We have our target," Dokuro announced. "Take as many hostages as you can and move out."

"Yes sir!" chorused the guild members, including Meredy.

_'It's now or never,'_ thought Meredy. "Maguilty Sleep!" Pink swords impaled the guild members, causing them to fall into a deep sleep. However, Dokuro knocked away the sword meant for him with one hand.

"I was right. You have betrayed me, Melody," said Dokuro. "Or should I say Meredy of Crime Sorciere?"

Having been found out, Meredy saw no reason to resume her current form and allowed the transformation to drop.

* * *

><p>"Crime Sorciere?" repeated Gray as he and the others watched the exchange. "That can only mean..."<p>

"Jellal..." Erza said to herself.

It seemed as if things were about to come to a head between the two of them.

* * *

><p><strong>We got ourselves a standoff, ladies and gentlemen! And you'll be happy to know that the next chapter is in production! As for ABCs... not so much.<strong>

**Maguilty Sleep is a Maguilty Sodom spell used by Meredy. She attacks with pink swords that put anyone impaled upon them into a deep sleep.**

**For those interested, I've done mockups of Embre and her father on tektek. I'll try to upload them on Tumblr, but that depends on whether I can combine text and images. I do plan to have the two show up during the date, though. Maybe a little Fairy-Ogre skirmish? Possibly. I dunno, I'm really interested in using these characters, because I kind of imagine the father to be a Noble Demon type of character, which is something Twilight Ogre could really use. And yes, I'm aware Twilight Ogre is just a fodder guild, but it's still located in Magnolia, just like Fairy Tail, so it works just fine for this story.**

**So anyway, as always, review if you like it. And I mean really review. Stay away from one-word comments like "cool" and "awesome." Actually help me to grow and evolve as a writer. And I guess until next chapter, peace and love from Nightlingbolt!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, people. Nightlingbolt here. Welcome back to more Scenes from the Fairy Tail Guild. In fact, this is gonna be the last chapter for a while, because after this, the story's going on indefinite hiatus (not that it wasn't there already, I'm just making it official). Part of this is because I want to focus on one singular project without worrying about anything else, which in turn give me time for real life and the things I want to do. But mostly, it's because I don't know where I wanna go with this at the moment.**

**God, I really bloated this chapter, huh? So much shenanigans going on at once. Midnight Fog battle, Sabertooth, and a potential Meredy romance. Other than that, I don't have anything to say I didn't already say in ABCs or Lucky Star (both of which finished today), so enjoy this chapter.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does. I own Dokuro Layne and his guild, Midnight Fog.**

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><p>Natsu turned on the sink in the men's room and started to was his hands. Normally, he didn't bother washing up if he only went number one, but he knew he would be eating soon, and with other people, and he at least knew enough about personal hygiene to wash up for the benefit of others. That was something Erza had literally stomped into him when they were kids.<p>

Natsu chuckled at the thought of Erza. It still humbled him that the feared Titania, Queen of the Fairies, so willingly opened herself up to him, that she let him see the scared girl she really was. Hell, she hardly ever showed that side of herself to Gray, and the three of them were best friends!

Natsu had always had some semblance of a crush on Erza. Sure, Lisanna was his best friend in childhood, but the Animal mage's romantic advances had always freaked him out. Gildartz had told him he was at an awkward time in his life and that he'd notice Lisanna soon enough.

The thing is, Natsu had noticed Lisanna one day. Even though it had been a few years since Igneel left, the wound his abandonment had caused was still as deep as ever. He didn't want to start anything with Lisanna in case he lost her too, a fear that had been validated when Elfman had "killed" her.

Erza had been the shoulder he had cried on in the aftermath of the tragedy, just the way she had been there every July 7th. They wore masks around the guild, she the bossy knight, and he the foolish dragon, but they were always honest with each other when they were alone. It took the Tower of Heaven for him to realize just how much Erza meant to him.

"You're going to rub your hands raw if you keep that up, Natsu," said a brown-haired guy standing next to the door.

Natsu looked up. "How do you know my name?" he asked, a soft growl in his voice.

"It's me. Jellal," said the guy. Natsu was suspicious due to his appearance, but a few quick sniffs told him that the guy's scent matched Jellal's.

Speak of the Devil.

"Hey, Jellal," said Natsu casually. "Crime Sorciere celebrating another dark guild destroyed?"

"No," said Jellal. "But we're attempting to destroy another one tonight. Meredy should be fighting their master by now, and since we're two-thirds of the only other people who can use magic at the moment – the other being Ultear – the three of us and Meredy are all that can stand between Midnight Fog and the Duke of this town's daughter.

Natsu perked up at the news that only he and Crime Sorciere could use magic. "What does that mean for Erza?" he asked worriedly.

"Erza should be fine, assuming Meredy's Maguilty Sleep did its job." said Jellal. "She knows not to engage if she's powerless."

The thought of Erza losing her powers still worried Natsu, though he was determined not to let it show in front of Jellal. "I'm all fired up now!" he said. "Let's go kick Midnight Fog's ass!"

"That was the plan," said Jellal with a smirk. "But listen. We need to be strategic about how we join the..." He stopped when he realized he was talking to air.

"...fray." Jellal finished with a sigh. He could see that Natsu and Erza were equals in terms of raw magical ability, but the Dragon Slayer was too damn impulsive for his own good, and that's what held him back from S-Rank status.

"At least Ultear's on top of things," he said, listening as Natsu screamed at the Time mage to let him go.

* * *

><p>Meredy stared down her "master," Dokuro. "You've heard of us," she said. It wasn't a question.<p>

"There's not a mage in the underworld that hasn't heard of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory or the man that deceived the Magic Council," said Dokuro, tossing his hostage onto the floor recklessly. "A shame such powerful dark mages have chosen to walk the path of light... but as they say, you can come out of the darkness, but the darkness can't come out of you." Teal swords formed above Meredy, poised to kill.

"Oh, really now?" said Dokuro with a humorless laugh. "Your swords are a manifestation of your faith, girl. The fact that you reacted so quickly to my words shows me I've shaken that faith."

"You're wrong!" shouted Meredy. The swords launched by themselves.

"Am I?" questioned Dokuro, easily sidestepping any attacks that came too near to him. "Every man is destined to be one of two things. Good... or evil. As a child, I discovered my magic early on. My peers called me many names... monster, abomination... I do believe I've been called every vulgar thing a man can ever be called.

"One day, a guild came to my village, seeking to recruit children with great magical potential. I was the only person in the whole village who could use magic, and I was given willfully to them. Even my own mother, who had raised me herself, had shielded me from the cruel words of others, was only too happy to be rid of me. I still remember her last words to me... 'I'm tired... I've carried this awful burden for far too long... Please, lift yourself from my shoulders...'

"Heartbroken at my mother's betrayal, I let my magic run wild. The smoke I produced from my anger and hatred spread through the entire town. There were no survivors.

"When I realized what I had done, a peculiar feeling coursed through me. I felt no guilt, as those born into good would. No, what I felt was, if I had to describe it in one word... pride." A sadistic grin formed on Dokuro's face. "Pride in myself for silencing those who mocked me! For destroying the source of my pain! And especially for exacting revenge on my simple-minded mother, too simple-minded to see the disgrace of the village rather than her only child! Even at such a young age, I knew what I had done was evil, and I embraced the thought, the power, of such a label! Right at that moment, no one could stop me!"

Meredy stood there, her mouth hanging open. "You... you're out of your mind!" she said.

"There is no turning back from the path of evil!" yelled Dokuro, smoke pouring out from his whole body. "You and your ragtag guild will be haunted by your crimes forevermore! No matter how many dark guilds you destroy, no matter how many dark mages you take off the streets, you, Jellal, and your precious Ultear will always be counted among the ranks of villains, scorned by the heroes that want you dead!"

Dokuro's smoke started wrapping around Meredy in tendrils. "You're wrong!" she said again, visibly panicking this time. "It's true that we were once dark mages, but Crime Sorciere has done so much to help the world!"

"Has it?" sneered Dokuro. "Stopping a few dark guilds won't erase the past, girl! But if you won't take my word for it..." The smoke tendrils reshaped themselves into fine points. "We'll see what Saint Peter has to say on the matter!"

Meredy shut her eyes in fear, waiting for the killing blow. However, a blast of fire, a beam of light, and a speeding Lacrima orb slammed into Dokuro's side, breaking his concentration and freeing Meredy from the smoke.

The pinkette looked up to see Ultear and Jellal in their true forms, along with Natsu, sending killing glares towards Dokuro. The dark guild master gave a genial smile as he struggled to his feet.

"And the rest of your guild arrives, plus one Fairy," he said, as calm as ever. "I should thank you three for knocking the sense back into me. I tend to get a little... crazy... whenever I discuss my past."

"As if you weren't enough of a psycho already!" spat Ultear venomously.

"Says the woman who thought she could travel through time to undo her many atrocities?" said Dokuro snidely.

"You-!" Ultear started to say. Jellal clasped a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down, Ultear!" the ex-Wizard Saint said sternly. "He knows he can't defeat all four of us, even with his guild's help, so he's trying to provoke us to throw us off our game." Ultear growled, but stayed her orb, knowing Jellal was right.

"Though it's embarrassing to admit it, I'm horribly outmatched against the four of you," said Dokuro. "Bearing that in mind, I'll take my hostage and be on my way." He transformed into a cloud of smoke and took back the Duke's daughter. "Someday, Crime Sorciere... realize the truth of your own futility." With that, he floated away, the Duke's daughter still in tow.

"No!" yelled Ultear.

"Get back here, you bastard!" growled Natsu.

"I'll try and intercept him!" said Jellal as he glowed a bright yellow. "Meteor!" He sped off at a high speed in pursuit of Midnight Fog's master...

...Only to see a black lightning bolt shoot the Duke's daughter out of the smoke cloud just as Dokuro slipped through the doors.

"Sorry," the caster apologized. "I hope that didn't hurt."

"She was unconscious, Orga," said a black-haired young man. "She didn't feel a thing."

"That's no excuse not to be gentle, Rogue," said a man with long blonde hair wearing a red hat.

"Well, you know Rogue, Rufus. All the subtlety of a ton of bricks," said another blonde.

"Frosch thinks so too!" interjected a green Exceed wearing a frog costume.

The Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere mages looked at the speakers. They instantly recognized them as...

"Sabertooth!" Natsu shouted. Indeed, four of Sabertooth's five strongest members stood discussing what had transpired.

The other blonde looked in their direction. "Geez," he said. "I might have known you Fairies would start a ruckus." he sighed. "And here we are all ready to eat!"

Rufus chose this moment to speak up. "I seem to remember that cloud of smoke from somewhere, Sting," he said.

"Yeah," agreed Sting. "That was obviously Dokuro Layne, master of the dark guild known as Midnight Fog."

"Shall we pursue?" asked Rufus.

"Nah, he's probably long gone by now," replied Sting.

"But members of his guild may still be around," said Rogue. "Rufus, have your memories round up the Midnight Fog members." Rufus put his fingers to his temples, and several dozen copies of him appeared, which then proceeded into the dining area.

Meredy stepped towards Rogue in a confrontational manner. "And what about Crime Sorciere? Do you plan to arrest us as well, Dragon Slayer?" she asked in a cold tone. The two mages looked into each other's eyes, each daring the other to make a move.

Ultear made to pull back her adoptive daughter, but Jellal stopped her. "We couldn't run forever," he said somberly. The Fairy Tail mages got into fighting stances, prepared to defend their allies.

Finally, Rogue spoke. "No," he said. "They're not causing any trouble." Orga looked shocked at Rogue's decision, but Sting and Rufus looked amused.

Sting let out a chuckle. "Not that I don't trust your judgment, but I'm not explaining to Jiemma why you let three fugitives escape arrest," he said.

"I'm not," replied Rogue. "You... Meredy, was it? Come here." Meredy glared, but followed the Shadow Dragon's order.

"Show me your hand." Meredy did so. Rogue pulled out a small stamp showing Sabertooth's guild mark. He stamped Meredy's hand with it, then did the same with Jellal and Ultear, and finally stamped his own hand. He clapped his hands, and the four Sabertooth marks disappeared and caused a jolt of pain on everyone's hands.

"What I've just done is brand you three, along with myself, with the mark of Sabertooth," explained Rogue. "This stamp is enhanced with Organic Link magic. It allows me to track the location of anyone I've stamped with it, so long as I remain a member of Sabertooth. Furthermore, your magical signatures have been burned into my own, allowing me to easily tell you three apart should you try and confuse me. In other words, should I learn of any more criminal activity on your part, I can find you no matter how far away you try to run – and I _will_ bring you to justice." Jellal and Ultear nodded in uderstanding, but Meredy's glare never wavered.

Rogue's face softened. "But as they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend," he said. "I trust we can count on your cooperation to bring Dokuro to justice." He turned to leave. "I'm going back," he announced.

"What? But we didn't even eat yet!" complained Sting.

"I'll order room service," said Rogue dismissively. "We're going, Frosch."

"Wait for Frosch!" chirped Frosch, flying onto Rogue's shoulder as the Shadow Dragon left the restaurant. The rest of Sabertooth stepped out to wait for the Council.

"You Crime Sorciere guys better leave too. The Council doesn't care if you're under Sabertooth's watch," said Sting tauntingly.

"Yeah! You might even be executed!" added Lector. Natsu growled at them, but Erza held him back.

"We're powerless right now," said Erza. "We can't win." Natsu's only response was to flip a table.

"Sting has a point," said Jellal. "It's too dangerous here. I'm sorry if we ruined your evening." On his signal, Crime Sorciere fled the scene.

Nobody spoke. The air was heavy with anger and worry. Anger at Sabertooth for blackmailing Crime Sorciere, and worry for Jellal and his guild. Finally, Gray got bold enough to say something.

"Honestly, room service sounds like a pretty good idea right now," he said.. "Maybe a movie, too."

"Yeah," agreed Lucy. "We'll see you guys later." The weekend roommates left the restaurant as well.

Mirajane huffed in frustration. "Well, there goes the entire evening!" she complained.

"Hey, there's still the four of us!" said Natsu.

"No, I think I'll just take a late train back to Magnolia," said Mira. "I wouldn't want to be a third wheel," she added mischievously. Natsu blushed furiously at that comment.

Erza, however, seemed lost in thought. Now that he was being watched by Sabertooth, she worried for Jellal's safety. She couldn't be sure if Rogue would carry out his threat; Crime Sorciere did operate on the threshold of the law, after all. Suddenly, as if sensing her fear, Natsu's strong arms wrapped around her.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "Jellal's not gonna give those bastards any reason to come after him."

Erza sighed as she let herself melt in her dragon's embrace. "Thank you, Natsu. I needed that," she said softly.

"I think you need more," said Natsu huskily. He kissed the nape of Erza's neck, causing the Titania to moan.

"I wonder... if Gray realizes... the romantic implications... of dinner and a movie..." said Erza between kisses.

Natsu's eyes sparked with inspiration. "For once, that pervert has a good idea," he said.

"Ooooh! Are you two going to doooooo it?" asked Happy impishly.

"Maybe we will, Happy," said Erza with a smile. "Maybe we will."

That was all Natsu needed to hear. He picked up Erza bridal style and carried her out of the restaurant, back to their room for an impromptu dinner date.

* * *

><p><strong>You know... rereading this, I just realized I had Dokuro escape. I think I have some semblance of a direction I want to go with this, but I still want to take a break from this... All right! I've decided. If this chapter gets 10 reviews before May 15th, I'll work on Scenes in addition to my next project.<strong>

**If you'll look at my profile, there should be a poll asking which idea I should concentrate on. Most of it is Fairy Tail, but there is a Green Lantern: TAS story I'm thinking of writing... Meh, I'll do that while waiting on the results of the poll, I guess. So until whatever comes next, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


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